The Mexican Consulate in Brownsville awarded Texas Southmost College with $12,000 that will go to scholarships for low-income Hispanic students who are living in the United States.
The scholarship is part of IME [Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior or Institute for Mexicans Abroad in English] Becas, a program implemented by the government of Mexico to support organizations that have programs that promote, literacy, adult education, English as a Second Language, GED, computer skills, occupational job training and most importantly institutions of higher education for Hispanics in the United States.
“It will address the financial gap that some of our students have,” TSC President Jesus Roberto Rodriguez said. “Being able to receive additional funding to support any segment of our student population is always welcomed.”
Rodriguez said having this collaboration with the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville to support students who are from Mexican origin is a wonderful opportunity to move the community forward.
“TSC was established in 1946, that was 95 years ago. We’ve always embraced and celebrated the richness, the culture and the history of this binational bridge,” he said.
“The collaborative spirit that we are seeing today is continued by the signing of this [memorandum of understanding].”
Mexican Consul Juan Carlos Cue Vega said the Mexican government provides the funds for all the Mexican consulates located in the United States so that the local entities such as universities and colleges contact the consulate to be part of the program. The consulate then chooses which universities and colleges receive the funding.
“I’m very happy to be here one more time at this college. We have a partnership with TSC that’s very important for us, so important that even our offices are inside the campus,” Cue Vega said.
“This scholarship program, IME Becas, is very important and it has been working since 2005. … The main purpose of this program is to get more Mexican students, or from Mexican origin, access to quality education.”
In McAllen, South Texas College was part of the same program with the Mexican Consulate in McAllen. STC received $10,000 last week as part of IME Becas to increase the educational attainment level of Mexicans or persons of Mexican origin living in the US.
“There is no better investment in a person than through education, and we will continue making an effort to work with Mexico and develop more opportunities for the students of Mexico that are here in the United States,” STC President Ricardo J. Solis said.
“We are grateful to be able to implement this project, and we know that we will take advantage and manage it well. I would like to thank you and the people from Mexico for your continued support in helping the students in the RGV.”
The scholarship funds will benefit eligible students at South Texas College at $500 per student. Scholarship funds will be distributed and designated to pay for tuition and fees, and textbooks in accordance with the terms outlined in the MOU between the Consulate of Mexico in McAllen and South Texas College.
